Can opener



Jan. 4, 1944. cH v 2,338,238

CAN OPENER Filed Dec. 1, 1942 I INVENI OR.

finer amaclei.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 4, 1944 UNITED STATES f] 'i OF FICFE CAN OPENER "Homer Gamache, Newark, N. J assignor of onehalf to James V. Finaldi, Newark, N. J.

1 Claim.

This invention relates to hand manipulatable can openers; and the invention has reference, more particularly, to a hand manipulatable can opener, provided with a cutting blade arranged for up-stroke cutting -eilect.

The invention has for an object to provide a shearing progress of the blade through the can top, during manipulation of the can opener, close and true to theinterior periphery of the can rim.

The invention has for another object to' provide a hand manipulatable can opener of the a kind above referred to, wherein the blade, fulcruming and guide devices are produced from a single sheet metal stamping having said parts preformed and then bent to relative operative positions; the blade structure thus formed being suitably secured to a handle means by which it may be operatively manipulated.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more partcularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of the can opener according to this invention as operatively applied to a can, the latter being shown in section; Fig. 2 is a top View of the same; and Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the same, taken on line 33 in Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the hereinabove described views to indicate corresponding parts.

The blade structure of the can opener, according to this invention, comprises a body struck from sheet metal and formed to provide a butt portion It, disposed in vertical plane, from the forward end of which extends the blade member I I. Formed integrally with the butt portion I0, so as to project outwardly from its top edge, at substantially a right angle thereto, and thus to lie in substantially horizontal plane is a top flange I2. The angular cross sectional shape of the butt portion I I) and its top flange I2 provides a very strong and rigid support for the blade member. The blade member 'I tisprovided with an upwardly presented curvilinear or arcuate cutting edge is which converges outwardly upon the bottom edge "I4 of said blade member, thus forming, at the outer freeend of the latter, a sharp piercing point It to facilitate entrance of the blade through the top wall B of a can A, preparatory to severing the former from the latterin the can opening operation. Preferably the blademember is of somewhat curved vertical plane to more or less conform to the curvature of the body of the can A.

Integrally formed for extension from the lower edge of the butt portion Iii, at a poi'nt'close to the juncture of the blade member II therewith, is a fulcruming lug It. This fulcruming lug is bent inwardly and at substantially alright angle to the plane of said butt portion so as to cross and bear upon the top of the can rim C, when the blade member is caused to pierce the can top wall E adjacent to said rim C.

Integrally formed for extension from the-forward end of the butt portion top flange "I2 is a suitably shaped forward guide tongue IT. This guide tongue is twisted relative to'the top flange I2 so that its forwardly projecting free end portion is disposed in vertical plane, outwardly spaced from the outer face of the blade member I i and parallel to the vertical plane of the outer side of the can A. Said guide tongue IT is somewhat downwardly bent so as to lie substantially parallel to but outwardly offset from the top cutting edge I3 of the blade member II.

Integrally formed for extension from the lower edge of the butt portion I0, at a point immediately behind the fulcruming lug I6, is a rear- Ward guide tongue I 8. Said guide tongue I8 is formed, at its juncture with the butt portion It, with an offsetting shoulder I9, whereby said guide tongue depends from the butt-portion in substantially vertical plane outwardly offset relative to the vertical plane of the latter, and so as to lie outwardly of but adjacent to the outer side of the rim C of a can A to which the blade member I I is operatively applied, whereby outward deflection of the blade member, especially during the latter phases of its shearing operation, is prevented.

To provide for use of the can opener as a bottle cap remover, in addition to its service as a can opener, the butt portion top flange I2 is provided, at its rearward end and so as to overhang its outer edge, with a cap lifting hook 20.

The blade structure, formed and provided as above described, is suitably attached to a manipulating handle 2|. Preferably, a rigid and suitably shaped shank piece 22 is secured to the outer face of the butt portion In, as e. g. by rivets 23, and the handle 2| is secured to the rearward end of this shank piece 22 in any suitable manner already familiar to the art.

It will be obvious, that, when the blade member H is initially caused to vertically pierce and penetrate the can top wall B, close to the inner periphery of the can rim 0, the fulcruming lug IE will abut the latter, thus limiting inward movement of the blade member, while also fulcruming the same for shearing action. At the same time, the forward guide tongue l1 will be disposed adjacent the exterior of the side of the can A. In such initial operative disposition of the blade structure, the handle 2| will be disposed in more or less upstanding position. The can opener being thus initially related to the can A ready for operative manipulation, the operator thereupon swings down the handle 2| to rock the blade structure about the fulcruming lug 16 which bears upon the top of the can rim C. Such down swinging of the handle 21 causes an upswinging movement of the blade member H, so that its upwardly drawn cutting edge I 3 shears through the can top wall B. During such cutting action of the blade member, the forward guide tongue I! prevents inward deflection of the blade member from a desired shearing course adjacent to the can rim C, and as the cutting action progresses, and especially during the end phase of such cutting action, the rearward guide tongue l8 prevents outward deflection of the blade member from said desired shearing course. It will thus be understood that the shearing action of the blade is eiiiciently controlled at all times, so that the blade is kept to its desired course, without risk of either inward or outward divergence therefrom, and consequently a smooth, nonjagged severing cut through the can top 13 is assured, as well as a cut uniformly close to the can rim C.

A cutting step having been completed; the handle 2| is again upswung to initial position and the fulcruming lug l6 advanced along the can rim 0 ready for a suceeding cutting operation. In this manner, the can opener is progressively manipulated until the can top B is completely cut away, or severed to an extent sufficient to permit out-bending thereof to a desired opened position.

It will be noticed that the fulcruming lug it, when in operative position, inwardly overhangs the can rim C and can top wall B, projecting inwardly over the latter for a distance suificient to cross the cut made therein. Said fulcruming lug, as thus positioned, additionally serves as a stop to limit lifting action of the severed part of the can top B whereby to prevent undue upbending or distortion of the latter during a cutting action of the blade member I I.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

In a can opener, an integral blade structure formed from a single piece of sheet metal to provide a butt portion in vertical plane by which the blade structure can be affixed to a manipulating handle, an upstroke cutting blade forwardly extending from said butt portion substantially in the plane thereof but laterally bowed for substantial conformation to the curvature of a can to be operated upon, a horizontal fulcruming lug projecting inwardly from the lower edge of the butt portion adjacently back of the rearward end of said blade, said butt portion having a top flange laterally projecting outwardly and substantially right angularly from its top edge, a forward guide tongue projecting from the forward end of said top flange, said forward guide tongue being twisted about its longitudinal axis into vertical plane substantially parallel to but outwardly spaced from the blade and substantially corresponding in length to that of the latter, and a rearward guide tongue dependent from the lower edge of said butt portion at a point back of said fulcruming lug, said rearward guide tongue having a substantiall horizontal offsetting shoulder connection to said butt portion adapted to dispose the former in an outwardly spaced plane parallel to the plane of the latter, whereby to oppose the exterior of a can as the blade approaches the limit of its upcutting stroke in use, said shoulder conneetion being adapted by engagement with the can top rim to limit said up-cutting stroke or" the blade.

HOMER GAMACHE. 

